Ricky Ponting admits he’s frustrated he was unable to turn his mountain of Sheffield Shield runs into Test success this summer.
But the former Australian captain has no regrets about his retirement from the international game after the series against South Africa.
Ponting’s unbeaten 138 to rescue Tasmania on day one of the Shield game against NSW at Bellerive took his tally in the competition to 493 runs in five matches at the staggering average of 164.33.
It’s form he was unable to produce against the Proteas in November, with just 32 runs in five innings and a top score of 16.
“It is frustrating,” Ponting told reporters at Bellerive.
“When it really came round to me being under pressure and needing to stand up and score runs for Australia, I couldn’t do it.
” … But I’ve got no regrets about it, even playing as I did today.
“My time’s up and I’ve been happy with every day since retirement.”
Ponting looked in vintage touch as he cracked 20 fours and a six, his 178-run partnership with Jason Krejza taking the Tigers from a precarious 6-132 to a credible 6-310 at stumps.
The 38-year-old clipped Blues paceman Trent Copeland (2-74) for four to bring up his 79th first-class ton after moving from 91 to 97 with a monster six off legspinner Adam Zampa (0-52).
“Walking out today is nowhere near like the pressure I was putting on myself at the start of the South African series,” Ponting said.
“Right through my career, I was always able to deal with that and probably played better in those pressure moments at international level.
“It just got to the stage where I couldn’t do it any more.”
Krejza proved the perfect foil, hitting eight fours and a six in his 152-ball knock, although he was bowled by a Copeland no-ball when he was 41.
The Tigers collapsed after openers Mark Cosgrove (36) and Ben Dunk (13) had put on 53 for the opening wicket, returning Blues paceman Josh Hazlewood the chief destroyer with 3-64.
Hazlewood said his six weeks on the sidelines with a foot injury after he’d been Australia’s 12th man for the Perth Test had been tough.
“You bust your arse to get to that position, so close to the team, and then you get there and an injury comes so it’s just bad luck,” he said.
He said he was hoping to play in Australia A’s one-day matches against the England Lions later this month.
“I guess they’re going to try and pick those guys that are on the fringes for the Aussie team and good performances there could lead towards an Ashes tour,” he said.
Doc Cricket
Guest
Agree The Bush - would be brilliant if Ponting and M Hussey played in the Shield next season. Would benefit so many
The Dish
Guest
I agree JGK, it's a bit of a joke that the national cricket website can't even display accurate stats.
The Bush
Roar Guru
It's great if Ponting stuck around for another full Shield season and kept scoring runs. It is against legends like this that our young bowlers will really learn their trade... Good on Punter, true champion.
Red Kev
Guest
Then I take it back - damn CA website disgrace!
JGK
Roar Guru
This one was though.
Red Kev
Guest
Not all "A" games are first class. For instance the Sri Lanka A team played against an Australian Cricket Academy team in 2010 that was not a first class match. The Australia A v South Africa before the test series last year was a first class match.
JGK
Roar Guru
The Cricket Australia website is showing that before today, Krejza's highest first class score was 84. That is wrong - he scored a ton against Pakistan A in Townsville a few years ago. The CA website really is a disgrace and a slap in the face to anyone that takes cricket in this country seriously.
Varun
Guest
Agree red kev, invest in the likes of khawaja and Hughes and they will become good players
Pope Paul VII
Guest
Ah crap. Whatever happened to records made to be broken? the 7th wkt record is 335 and has stood for 78 years!
matt h
Guest
Make that 200 not out with Tassie declaring.
Pope Paul VII
Guest
meanwhile Krazy has scored a 100! Ricky was 193 last time I looked.
Red Kev
Guest
In the meantime Queensland are batting for a draw having lost all hope of a win by losing 2 wickets in the morning session to be 4 down with 2 sessions to bat and 278 behind.
matt h
Guest
I agree with you Kev, Ponting would have got a rude shock if he managed to stumble on to England. Just great to see him enjoying his twlight and putting on a class for his domestic team mates is all. Young Adam Zampa is getting a lesson which will make him a better bowler. And his team mates are getting a lesson on cashing in when you get the chance. They all batted on this belter of a pitch and gave it up. PS the wicket is a road but he is up against Bollinger, Copeland, Hazlewood and Zampa. Might show why none of them are on the plane to India.
Red Kev
Guest
Ponting showed how he can play against India. He also showed how he plays against good bowling - his returns in the most recent series against England, SA, and NZ are pretty lean. It is a shame, but all legends eventually fail/fall. People may not think much of Khawaja or Smith or Hughes, but investing time in them is far more likely to yield positive results than hanging on to Ponting or Haddin or anyone else over 35.
matt h
Guest
Agreed completely. It's a worry. Oh and Respect to the great man. Could have retired and lived to 213 on his diet of Swisse vitamins, but went back and played for his old cluib and is churning out runs and advice for his state. Reminds me of AB when he came back to play for QLD. It does show the massive step up between domestic and international cricket (now that current international cricketers rarely get to come back and play), which is why we always have to be wary of expecting a player having a short golden run in the Shield to do the same at international level. These are awesome numbers. It will be interesting to see how it ranks with the great Shield seasons, by average. Currently he's 185 not out. And also, how differently this might all have turned out if our summar had been solely against Sri Lanka and the Windies? I guess we are lucky it wasn't, or a rude Ashes shock against the likes of Anderson and Finn would have been on the cards.
James
Guest
The problem is that Ponting is one of only 2 players to score 2 centuries in the shield this season. The other being Haddin. If Ponting, who isn't good enough to play for Australia, is playing significantly better than any of the up and coming batsmen, then we have serious problems.
Disco
Roar Guru
I bet there's plenty of domestic cricketers around the world who regret the same inability to perform at the higher level.
Varun
Guest
I think he is worth more then 400,000 and he will show that
AndyMack
Guest
I guess it shows what pressure can do. Its not easy to step up to that level and perform. Good on punter though, still scoring runs. hope he smashes them in the IPL and shows what $400k can buy...